Volunteer Support Funding and Training

Charities are asked to consider offering different routes and ways for people to get involved, for example:

• taster sessions - light touch opportunities to try out volunteering with you.
• information sessions - opportunities to find out more about what volunteering with you would be like.
• take an action - small but meaningful acts that help individuals to participate and contribute to your cause.
• ongoing roles - promote your new or existing volunteering roles.

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This funding could include:

• Costs associated with recruiting and managing volunteers (e.g., staff costs (volunteer manager), advertising and marketing, DBS checks, interview and induction processes, etc.).
• Volunteer recruitment events (e.g., volunteer fairs or open days).
• Increasing the diversity of volunteers.
• Volunteer training costs.
• Volunteer expenses.
• Developing resources and policies to improve and support volunteers.
• Support for volunteer health and wellbeing.
• Opportunities to reduce barriers to volunteering (e.g., physical, cultural, or financial; lack of time or transport; lack of confidence or not being aware of volunteering opportunities).

Eligibility

The funding is available to organisations that are:

• Registered on the Volunteer Horsham District Website to advertise volunteer roles. Register your organisation for free.
• Registered Charity.
• Constituted group or club.
• Community Interest Company.
• Social Enterprise.
• Faith group (projects must be inclusive).

The organisation must also:

• Provide community activities or services within the Horsham District.
• Have a formal constitution or set of rules.
• Have a bank account requiring at least two unrelated signatories.
• Operate with no undue restrictions on membership.
• Have a safeguarding policy for children, young people and vulnerable adults where appropriate.

We recommend that in addition to applying for this funding, you consider booking a place on one of our fully funded training courses as priority will be given to organisations who have booked onto a training course.

Assessment criteria

As well as meeting the priorities and aims, the project must also:

• Take place in the Horsham District.
• Involve local communities.
• Improve quality of life for local residents.
• Demonstrate a need for the project.
• Show additional funding or support (see further details below).
• Be a new project or show how it adds value to an existing project.

It should also try and demonstrate:

• The group/organisations’ previous experience/expertise etc.
• Engagement with the local community where appropriate.
• Lasting impact.
• Any volunteer contribution.

What cannot be funded

• Any commercially run activities or events or projects run for the sole benefit of an individual.
• Routine running costs of a group or organisation.
• Events or activities with the principle aim of fundraising for another organisation.
• Horsham District Council will not support projects that promote specific political or religious views.
• Applications cannot be for retrospective costs already incurred.

Apply for funding

Apply for the Volunteer Support Fund by filling in our online application form.

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The form will give you all the information you need and prompt you where necessary. However, if you require support filling in your application or clarity around if you qualify, please contact the Grants and Funding officer.

All grants are subject to the terms and conditions as detailed in our grants policy.

Monitoring

If successful with your grant application for the Volunteer Support Fund, you will be required to provide a monitoring report. This must be received by the end of February 2025.

You can view the monitoring report in advance and can find a useful guideline to monitoring on our website.

If you would like to speak to someone about this fund or registering your organisation on the Volunteer Horsham District Website please call the Voluntary Sector Support team on 01403 215191, or email volunteering@horsham.gov.uk